Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) – also referred to as motor neurone disease in some British Commonwealth countries and as Lou Gehrig's disease in the United States – is a debilitating disease with varied etiology characterized by rapidly progressive weakness, muscle atrophy and fasciculations, muscle spasticity, difficulty speaking (dysarthria), difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), and difficulty breathing (dyspnea). ALS is the most common of the five motor neuron diseases.